The Master of Arts in Music Education degree furthers Adams State University’s mission by providing educational opportunities for K-12 teachers to earn a master’s degree in music education at a reasonable cost. The Music Education master’s program furthers students’ musical and professional growth, enhances the success of the students they serve, and provides graduate coursework necessary for additional salary credit. The degree offers two tracks, using the cohort model. For the first track, all courses are delivered online. The second track is a combined online/on-campus program. Students in this track enroll in the same online core and supporting courses as the first track. Students in the second track choose an area of concentration in performance, composition, or conducting, in lieu of electives. These courses are delivered face-to-face and require a two semester residency in addition to the summer residency at the beginning of the degree program.

Admission Requirements

Students desiring to enroll in the Master of Arts degree program in Music Education must:

• hold a baccalaureate degree in music from an accredited institution or hold a baccalaureate degree in another subject and have a.) completed a state licensure program in music or b.) earned a passing grade on a state standardized licensure exam in music or music education, such as the Program for Licensing Assessments for Colorado Music Educators (PLACE), the Praxis exam, etc.
• have a cumulative undergraduate GPA of at least 3.0 for the last 30 credit hours of the degree.

All applicants must submit the following information to the Department of Music, Adams State University, 208 Edgemont Blvd., Suite 3040, Alamosa, CO 81101.

1. An application for admission to graduate study.
2. A $30 non-refundable application fee.
3. Unofficial transcripts verifying receipt of the baccalaureate degree. Official transcripts from all institutions attended are required by the ASU Graduate School after acceptance.
4. Letter of intent, approximately 1 page, discussing interests, background, the emphasis of interest, and professional goals.
5. A philosophy of education essay, approximately 1 page, that will be used to assess writing skills for eligibility into the program.
6. Resume - include academic, teaching, and professional musical experience.
7. Two recent letters of reference including reference contact information that outline the student’s strengths and weaknesses, likely success in a graduate program, and what the student will bring to the field of music education. One letter should be from an immediate and/or current supervisor. Both letters should be dated.
8. Students applying to the combined online/ on-campus program with a concentration in performance or conducting will audition in person or submit an audition CD/DVD. Students applying to the combined online/on-campus program with a concentration in composition will submit representative original compositions with their application.

The department chair will notify students of admission decisions.